The Potions Master and the Apprentice
by Angela della Muerta
Summary: Snape takes on an apprentice; a witch who must study under a Potions Master for a year to complete her training. But as time passes, they begin to realise that a love of their chosen subject isn't the only passion they share. Rated M for adult content.
1. His Apprentice

**A/N - This is my first ever fanfic so please be kind. I hope to upload new chapters regularly. R&R, please; it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, in advance. I hope you enjoy. ~AdM~**

Chapter 1: His Apprentice

The young woman flushed under the intensity of his gaze. She chewed her cherry lips. Her stormy eyes fell to the floor as his scrutinised her. She was in her mid-twenties and had vibrant red hair that spilled down her back, reaching down to the top of her thighs. Her skin was pale, but not unattractively so. She was slightly short with ample breasts and a full hour-glass figure, which was shown off well by her choice of clothing - her white blouse lay open enough to reveal a tantalising glimpse of her magnificent cleavage, a wide leather belt highlighted her slender waist, her skirt flowed over her hips to her knees, her fitted leather boots hugged her calves…

He became aware that his colleague had finished speaking. A reply was expected of him. _Damn it all_. He cast his mind back over the dialogue and analysed it for meaning. _Ah_…

"Very well. Thank you, Professor. I believe I can take the young lady from here. If you'll excuse us, we must make preparations for the next class. Please follow me, miss."

He took off down the corridor, briskly, robe billowing behind him. The girl fell into step, just a pace behind him. He could hear the clicking of her footsteps on the stone floor as she followed him closely down to the lab. He tried to rid his mind of the images it had conjured at his words. Why had he used that particular phrase? _I can take her._ The pictures filled his head once more. Her, on the edge of his desk, arms and legs wrapped round him. Her, straddling him, breasts bouncing. Her, lying beneath him, hair splayed out like a crimson halo. And always, his hard shaft buried deep inside her.

He opened the heavy wooden door and the sharp chemical scents helped to clear his mind. This was his domain. Feeling more in control of himself, he handed her a lab coat and reached for a spare textbook. Quickly finding the pages he intended to use for the coming lesson, he passed her the book and requested that she assembled the appropriate apparatus ready for demonstration. _Let's see how capable you are._ She read for a moment before looking around her, nodded and set to work. He watched in grim approval as she efficiently collected the required equipment and took it to the workbench on the raised platform, having correctly deduced that this was the most logical place for a demonstration. Her nimble hands worked quickly and gracefully. Soon she had everything set up, but she referred back to the book in order to double check.

"Excellent," he was pleased. She seemed fairly competent. _Good_. He wasn't the sort to molly-coddle. "Thank you. Take a seat," he said, indicating the chair beside his desk, "the students will be here momentarily. I must collect some supplies." He left her alone with her thoughts.


	2. Her Mentor

**A/N - The second chapter of my very first fanfic. I'm still writing the whole story at this point but I should be uploading them as each part is completed. Some chapters are likely to be shorter than others and there may be points where I update several times a day, then there may be gaps of several days before I update - it's all a matter of when the muse inspires my hand.  
****Please R&R, but be kind. **

Chapter 2 - Her Mentor

He wasn't what she'd expected in a mentor. But she could tell that she wasn't what he'd expected either, though she knew that she'd passed his first test. She felt, instinctively, that there would be many more tests to come and that he would keep a careful watch on her. She was eager not to disappoint. She wanted to please this dark man with the cold eyes, for reasons that she could not entirely comprehend but knew went deeper than a simple wish to learn from him.

He returned from his store room and began to set out trays of supplies for the students. He was a tall man, dressed mostly in black, as many of the professors here were. Almost everything about him seemed long, slim and elegant. And, oh, what a voice! _V.T.M.K. _She smiled to herself. _Voice. To. Melt. Knickers. _She silently scolded herself for the thought. The only desire should she be having is one for knowledge. She'd have to keep those thoughts in check. Still, it certainly wouldn't be terrible to take instruction from that voice almost daily for the next several months.

Having finished arranging everything to his liking - very methodically and logically, she approved - he stood behind his desk and awaited the students. She almost believed that he had forgotten about her presence, until he turned to her. Once again, his gaze pierced her. She felt as though he was staring into the very heart of her. She knew that she was very competent at both the practical and theoretical sides of this subject, she had to be very talented to have been offered the chance to study to teach here, but she was very aware that it would take a lot of concentration to answer him if he were to quiz her verbally. Something about this professor unnerved her. He was intense, deliberate, calculated and had an aura razor-sharp of intelligence. He looked at her in a way which made her mouth dry and her brain seize up. She'd have to learn to shake that off. The last thing she wanted was to look like a fool in front of him.


	3. Her Preparations

**A/N - Please R&R, I like to have feedback. I use beta-testers when writing most of my work but I haven't with this one. I'm changing a lot of my usual practices with this story, I hope it pays off. I've been writing a lot today (on this and some other stories, as inspiration hits) so there may well be some more chapters here soon; I hope you enjoy them.**

Chapter 3 - Her Preparations

She paced anxiously. She'd thought that arriving early to set up and centre herself would be a good idea but, try as she might, she couldn't get focused. She had to get a grip on herself or she'd go into a fully fledged panic attack and that just wouldn't do. It's not like she hadn't assisted in a lesson before. But then, she wasn't assisting this time; this time she'd be taking the lesson, under the constant scrutiny of her expectant mentor.

For the first week, she'd simply observed him during lessons (and any other time she thought she could do so without drawing too much attention to herself - she couldn't help it, the man fascinated her). In her second week, he'd begun to involve her more; little by little, assuring himself of her ability. There were many tasks, tests, frequent homework and she was regularly asked to spend evenings with him marking parchments (she took a perverse pleasure in those long hours spent alone together by the firelight, 'though barely a word was spoken). By the Christmas holidays, she felt that she'd become a valuable resource and that the Professor was pleased with her. Her thoughts her confirmed when, on the last day of term, he told her that she must plan and lead a lesson when studies resumed.

So she'd spent the whole of the holidays preparing; she'd researched all of the classes previous lessons to ensure that she would be teaching them something new and she'd gone back over their homework since the start of the year to try to make sure she chose something they'd find challenging but wasn't out of their league. After choosing something which fit all her self-imposed criteria, she put together her lesson plan - complete with contingencies for any and every possible outcome, should things not go as smoothly as she hoped.

She knew that, academically, she was prepared for every eventuality. No, the problem was of a different nature; today, his attention was going to be 100% focused on her. _His eyes fixed on my body, watching my every move; those piercing cold eyes that ignite such heat in my…_

"Stop it!" she scolded herself aloud, hoping that it would help her to regain some composure. _Focus on the lesson_.

In an attempt to push those thoughts from her mind (or to the back, at least), she began to set up her equipment and lay out the necessary ingredients. She concentrated on every motion, every object she touched; she mentally recited the uses of every herb, liquor and root as she went through the store room. With 10 minutes to go, she had begun to feel calmer and more able. Until, that is, the heavy door swung open and an all too familiar presence swept into the lab.


	4. His Attempt

**A/N: I meant to upload this earlier but I had one heck of a migraine yesterday, so I pretty much slept all day. Here's the latest installment; it's done a little differently from the previous ones, but I figured that there wasn't much point giving the last little bit it's own chapter, someone's likely to have gotten annoyed if I had. This chapter is so named because the Professor does _try _to comfort her but, because of who he is, it's rather a case of "one step forward, two steps back". TBH, I'm not entirely happy with the title but it's the only thing I could think of. Maybe I should start calling myself Leonard da Quirm (bonus points if you get the reference). Enjoy. Please R&R, I find feedback useful.**

Chapter 4: His Attempt

He forced himself to take in the room before letting his eyes come to rest on the figure at its centre. Every desk was meticulously set up with the necessary apparatus and ingredients for the proposed lesson. The board was filled with neat handwriting detailing clear instructions on how to make the potion, plus a few notes on how to find further information about it for that evenings homework. His thin lips tweaked into a small smile As usual, he could find no fault with her preparations. Yet, when he finally permitted himself to settle his gaze upon the latest curse in his tormented life, he saw her body trembling and her wide eyes cloud with unshed tears.

In a moment, he was at her side. Wrapping one arm around her waist and gently gripping her arm with his other hand, he tried to steady her. The shock of the contact caused them both to freeze. _So warm, so soft_. He pushed the unbidden thoughts away as she turned her face from his own. Regretfully, he released her and took a step back.

"Thank you, Professor," she whispered, her eyes fixed firmly upon the floor and the shaking had abated, "I'm sorry. I just had an attack of nerves. It wont happen again".

He studied her in silence. Her crimson tresses were tied back in some sort of bun that still allowed some wavy locks to tumble down onto her neck. Under her lab coat she wore a white blouse with a fitted brown leather waistcoat which fastened under her supple breasts; both her figure-hugging trousers and slightly-heeled boots were of the same brown shade as her waistcoat. _The sight of her is exquisite torture; the sight of me must disgust her._

"I should hope not," he stated.

The small sniff he heard stabbed at him. He wanted so desperately to hold her but he did not wish to add to her distress.

"You have no need to be nervous," he continued, "you are a very competent young woman and you are fully prepared for this. I would not have asked you to do this if I felt you were incapable. I would never set you up to fail."

She lifted her turbulent eyes to meet his gaze. A lump formed in his throat and he gave a small cough before continuing, hating that he could never say what he wanted to the girl…

His words had lifted her spirits. She'd known, in theory, that she was capable of what he'd asked of her; but knowing that he had confidence in her made all the difference

"As your mentor, your performance reflects on me," he finished. _Ah. Of course._

"Yes, Professor."

With a sigh, she took up her place behind the desk and managed to get her breathing under control by the time the first students began to arrive.


	5. Their Decisions

**A/N - This took longer to write than the others. There's not really anything going on but I thought it was an important part to cover; I just hope it's not to 'waffley'. Not sure I'm entirely happy with it. Please tell me what you think; I find reviews very helpful. Thanks. I hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 5 - Their Decisions**

Everything had gone perfectly. She truly had been in her element. He couldn't have been more pleased for her. He was also pleased for himself - for a whole lesson, he was able to look at her freely, drinking in the sight of her. She had dazzled him. She was beautiful, brilliant and was born to teach Potions. He was thankful that, by law, her apprenticeship must last at least one academic year; had it been when he thought she was ready, she would be leaving him by the end of the month. At that thought, he made the decision to observe her teaching at least one lesson a week and to find excuses to spend as much time with her as possible. After the end of July, he'd probably never see her again. He was no stranger to torment; he could take another 7 months of this torture._ It makes a change from the usual variety._

Her heart soared. There had been little need for her anxiety. Despite the prickling of her skin that she'd come to associate with the intense gaze of the sullen Professor she found so captivating, she'd managed to not screw up. Well, even she'd have to admit that was an understatement.  
The students were quizzical but accepted her authority readily, they'd gotten used to her presence over the previous term and liked her soothing effect on their caustic teacher. They responded well to her style and attitude; she'd played them like a harp. The Hufflepuffs doggedly followed her instructions, while the Ravenclaws revelled in the opportunity to learn something new and interesting - Professor Snape could put the fear of the Dementors into you but he wasn't what they called inspiring. As a result, the lesson had gone smoothly. Every student had managed to produce passable Passion Philtres within the allotted time, some even achieved a perfect potion. There had been no misbehaviour or need to take away points, in fact each House gained a few points.  
She'd loved Potions for as long as she could remember and had always enjoyed helping others, so it had seemed natural for her to study to become a Potions Master, but she tended to doubt her ability. _Not after today. I'm capable and confident, and if he believes in me then that's more than enough for me.  
_When the class left, she'd had the almost irresistible urge to hug her mentor; a thought which would have, no doubt, appalled him. She was a very tactile person and she wasn't used to having to be so isolated - hugging students would surely be inappropriate, she spent very little time with the rest of the faculty and she'd be mortified if she slipped up with the Professor. _Sure, I'd love for there to be something between us apart from Potions, but the risks are too high. I can't keep my distance but I can keep myself in check. I can do that, it's only to the end of school. _She took a deep breath. _Cool, calm, collected - the Business Hat stays firmly on. _She smirked to herself as she all but skipped to her room. _Well, when he's around, anyway. A little fantasising never hurt anyone._


	6. Their Dreams

**A/N - This chapter marks the real beginning of the afforementioned 'adult content'. It's still fairly tame, but it will get more graphic as the story progresses. You have been warned.  
On another note, I had intended to be writing and uploading chapters more often (especially as I'm aware that the chapters are rather short - but, as I was writing them, they seemed to form that way naturally and the last thing I want to do is force a story into a shape it shouldn't be... hmm, maybe I read too much Terry Pratchett...) but things get in the way, don't they? Plus, I'm constantly tweaking, adding and otherwise editing as I go along; moving things around as the story takes a slightly different direction than previously intended or cutting them out all together. There's later chapters that have mostly been written so, when we get to them, they're likely to be uploaded quicker. But I'm still working on this stage of the story, therefore you're probably going to get daily updates at best; 'though I'll try not to keep you waiting for more than two days for your next fix.  
Please R&R - this is my first fanfic and something of an experiment with style etc, it would be useful for me to know what people think. I hope you enjoy it.  
~AdM~**

**Chapter 6 - Their Dreams**

_Cherry red lips, bitten raw, so close. I want… I can't. Alabaster arms encircling me, soft skin drawing me near. Do you want this? Searching stormy eyes for some sign; could it be possible? Do you want me?_

Suddenly awake, he grasped his wand and flooded his sombre chambers with bright light. Wrapping himself in his robe, he scanned for intruders then searched for evidence of charms or spells - anything which might have accounted for such an unusual dream. When his thorough investigation turned up nothing out of the ordinary, he poured himself a glass of fire whiskey and sat in his high-backed armchair. With a vague wave of his wand towards the hearth, a fire roared into life. He started thoughtfully at the flames. It had been a long time since he had dreams of such a delicate nature and the accompanying memories were painful. _Lily._ He'd never forgotten her, he knew he never would. This girl could never take her place. _No-one could._

He took a sip of his drink. He could never love another the way he loved Lily. But to think that way would imply that he loved his apprentice. _A ridiculous notion._ He simply craved comforts of the flesh, like any man, his erection was proof enough of that. How long had it been since he had been with a woman? Or been around anyone other than children and his colleagues? Casting his mind back, he conceded that it had been long enough.

However, there was no getting around her responses to him. He had found that he was fond of her, she was witty and talented, so that ruled out less… ethical approaches. _I would have to rely on my good looks and sparkling personality_. He sneered to himself in the flickering firelight. Better to just content himself with their working relationship, wait until the year was done, then find his satisfaction in the embrace of a whore.

_A velvet voice whispering in my ear, hot breath on my neck. If I turn, can I trust myself? You're so close, one move and I'll be pressed against you. Mustn't move. Craving contact. Why wont you touch me? Onyx orbs locking my gaze. Your lips catching mine in a scorching kiss. I am lost._

Her eyes snapped open. She took a moment to take in her surroundings and take stock of what the hell had just happened. She was still in bed and it was now 5:41, so it must have been… _a dream? But it felt so real._ She had goosebumps all over her body; and that wasn't the only physical effect, she noticed, squeezing her legs together. Vivid memories, still fresh, flashed through her mind. She shook her head to dislodge them and decided to get ready to head down to the library before eating. Heading for her shower, she hoped that she wouldn't get any more flashbacks throughout the day - that'd make it really difficult for her to concentrate. _Especially around him._

As the warm water rushed over her, she considered some of the positive points of waking up nearly an hour early while the negative ones melted away - even with a pre-breakfast research session, she'd be able to spend more time getting ready for the day.


End file.
